Gage pin holder



' .Feb. 24,1970 I 515mm 1 3,497,250

" GAGE PIN HOLDER Filed Aug. L21, 1968 IN VENTOE Fel er 1501mm!" 5 e Mw United States Patent M 3,497,250 GAGE PIN HOLDER Peter J. Sommer, Elmhurst, 111., assignor to American Gage 8.: Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 754,377 Int. Cl. F16d 1 00; F16b 7/04 U.S. Cl. 287-111 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gage pin holder for holding a pair of gage pins of different sizes, comprising a first clamping bar having a longitudinal groove therein for receiving the gage pins, a second clamping bar for clamping the gage pins into said groove, and a screw fastener extending between said bars, said second bar having a pair of abutments projecting laterally therefrom and capable of immovably clamping the gage pins into said groove despite a substantial difference between the sizes of said gage pins, said abutments preferably being in the form of transversely extending rocker ribs of rounded shape.

This invention relates to a handle for holding a pair of gage pins of different sizes. Such gage pins are extensively used for gaging the size of holes, as an inspection procedure in manufacturing operations.

The gage pin holders in current use have the disadvantage of being incapable of satisfactorily accommodating gage pins of substantially different sizes. When the difference between the sizes is particularly great, the present gage pin holders do not hold the gage pins securely but rather permit wobble or play between the pins and the holder.

Thus, one principal object of the present invention is to provide a gage pin handle which is capable of immovably holding two gage pins of considerably different sizes.

In accordance with the present invention, this is accomplished by providing a gage pin handle having a first clamping bar with a groove therein for receiving the gage pins, a second clamping bar for clamping the pins into the groove, and a screw fastener extending between the clamping bars, the second clamping bar having a pair of abutments projecting laterally therefrom toward the first clamping bar for immovably clamping the pins into the groove. The abutments are preferably in the form of transversely extending rocker ribs of curved shape. Preferably, the screw fastener comprises an externally threaded screw extending through an opening in one of the bars, and an internally threaded insert mounted in another opening in the other bar.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gage pin handle to be described as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken through the gage pin handle, along the line 22 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the gage pin handle, partly in longitudinal section.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the manner in which gage pins of widely different sizes are securely held.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, to be described by way of example, comprises a gage pin handle 10, capable of immovably holding a pair of gage pins 12 and 14, even though the gage pins are of widely different sizes. The illustrated gage pins 12 and 14 are of simple cylindrical shape, but may assume various other forms.

3,497,250 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 The gage pin handle 10 comprises first and second clamping bars 16 and 18, between which the gage pins 12 and 14 are clamped. A screw fastener 20 is provided between the central portions of the clamping bars 16 and 18.

The first clamping bar 16 is formed with a longitudinal groove 22 for receiving and locating the gage pins 12 and 14. Preferably, the groove 22 is V-shaped, but it may assume various other forms.

The second clamping bar 18 is provided with a pair of abutments 24, projecting laterally therefrom, toward the first clamping bar 16. Preferably, the abutments 24 are in the form of transversely extending rocker ribs of rounded shape. It will be seen that the abutments 24 have a generally cylindrical curvature.

The screw fastener 20 preferably comprises an externally threaded screw 26 extending through a clearance opening 28 in one of the clamping bars, in this case the bar 18. The illustrated screw 26 has a head 29 which is recessed into a counterbore 30 in the bar 18. The screw 26 is adapted to be screwed into an internally threaded insert 32, mounted in an opening 34 in the other bar 16. The illustrated insert 32 has a head or flange 36, received in a counterbore 38 which is formed in the bar 16. The insert 32 is preferably mounted in the bar 16 with a press fit, so as to be immovable therein.

The bars 16 and 18 may be made of aluminum, plastics or other suitable materials. The screw 26 and insert 32 are preferably made of a durable material such as steel.

As shown to best advantage in FIGS. 3 and 4, one side portion of each of the pins 12 and 14 is snugly seated in the longitudinal groove 22. The other side portion of each gage pin is engaged by the corresponding abutment 24. Due to the provision of the abutments 24, the gage pins 12 and 14 are immovably clamped into the groove 22, despite wide differences in the sizes of the pins. As shown in FIG. 3, the gage pin 14 is slightly smaller than the gage pin 12. FIG. 4 illustrates an extreme condition, in which the gage pin 14 is considerably smaller than the gage pin 12. It will be seen that the gage pin handle 10 accommodates this difference, in that the clamping bar 18 is capable of rocking to a slanted position, while still maintaining firm clamping contact between the abutments 24 and the pins 12 and 14. This action is promoted by the rounded rocker shape of the abutments 24. The pins 12 and 14 are caused to seat snugly in the groove 22, by the clamping pressure exerted by the abutments 24. Thus, the gage pins are held without any wobble or looseness despite the wide difference between the sizes of the pins.

Various other modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, as exemplified in the foregoing description and defined in the following claim.

I claim:

1. A gage pin holder for holding two gage pins of different sizes,

comprising first and second clamping bars for engaging opposite side portions of the gage pins,

said first clamping bar having a longitudinal groove of V-shaped cross section formed therein for receiving and locating the gage pins,

said second clamping bar having a pair of transversely extending ribs of curved rocker shape projecting laterally therefrom toward said first clamping bar for engaging the gage pins and causing them to seat snugly in said groove,

the curved tops of said ribs being spaced inwardly from the ends of said first and second clamping bars,

said second clamping bar having a portion between said ribs and relieved away from said first clamping bar to avoid engagement with said pins,

and a screw extending between the central portions of said clamping bars for exerting force therebetween to hold the gage pins securely between said bars,

said screw having a head at one end and an externally threaded portion at the opposite end,

said first clamping bar having an internally threaded member for receiving said externally threaded portion of said screw,

said second clamping bar having a hole therein for receiving said screw,

said second clamping bar having a countersunk recess therein around the outer portion of said hole for receiving said head,

said hole and said countersunk recess being larger than the corresponding portions of said screw to provide for a range of rocking movement of said second clamping bar, said internally threaded member comprising an internally threaded insert of T-shaped cross section mounted in said first clamping bar, said first clamping bar having an opening extending from the V-shaped groove to the outer periphery of said first clamping bar and having a counterbore at the outer periphery of sufiicient depth to receive the enlarged portion of said insert with a press fit and flush with the outer periphery of said first clamping bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain. Great Britain.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner 20 A. V. KUNDRAT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

